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Description: | A complete copper-alloy cosmetic mortar. The bow is crescent shaped and measures 70mm in length, 8mm in width and 10mm in depth. The central groove is shiny due to wear and is 1.5mm in depth. At either end of the bow there are the remains of a very worn animals heads, with small heads and projecting snouts, the remains of what could have been drilled circular eyes can also be seen. One of these heads is significantly larger then the other, implying that perhaps a male and a female are represented. This mortar has a central loop, 18mm in external diameter and 11mm in internal diameter, the lower inside edge of the circular loop is worn. Cosmetic mortars are almost unique to the United Kingdom, only one has been found elsewhere, in northern France. They were in use while Britain was a province of Rome and are believed to have been used to grind small quantities of power, probably cosmetics. They are associated with fertility due to their cresent shape and the frequent twinning of male and female animal heads, as we can see with this example.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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